Insights into food incompatibilities: Ayurveda and modern perspectives

Classical Ayurveda books extensively discuss several aspects of food, including its diverse origins, qualities in different seasons and locations, and its unique roles in normal and abnormal physiological conditions. Various diseases can be initiated by alterations in dietary patterns and a deficiency in understanding appropriate nutrition. Viruddha Ahara is a concept in Ayurveda that refers to a particular diet and its combination that negatively affects the body’s metabolism of tissues, hinders the creation of Dhatus , and possesses properties that are opposed to Dhatus (known as incompatible food). In recent years, there has been an increase in the occurrence of lifestyle disorders, with poor dietary patterns being a significant contributing factor. Therefore, it is imperative to comprehend the concept of ViruddhaAhara in the modern era. This review encompasses details about Viruddha Ahara and its reported hazards in classical literature along with the contemporary know-how and reported shreds of evidence in food incompatibility.